New naphthenic oils developed to help customers facing Group I supply shortages

As more than a quarter of Western European Group I capacity is set to disappear, Nynas is offering a new range of oil products that mimic the performance characteristics of Group I oil.

2015 will see four Group I refineries in Europe closing down their operations, completely or partly. Inevitably, this will lead to uncertainty and worry among many producers facing shortages of the oils they need for their products. For many of them, having to reformulate their products will seem a daunting prospect.

"Reformulation is a very expensive and time consuming process. It will not be an affordable alternative, especially for many smaller producers," explains Valentina Serra-Holm, Marketing Director Naphthenics.

Having identified the need for inexpensive and more realistic solutions, Nynas has developed new products intended to replace Group I oils in a whole range of different applications.

"We have 12 new products that replicate the chemical and physical properties of Group I oils. These offer a range of viscosity and solvency performances that will suit many producers."

The new products have been developed specifically for their desirable properties in terms of viscosity and solvency, and combinations of these.

"Apart from general process oils, we are targeting applications such as metalworking fluids, hydraulic fluids and industrial lubricants."

Hydraulic fluids offer a particularly good example of what is at stake when Group I capacities are disappearing. If Group II oils were to replace Group I oils in hydraulic fluids, the solvency difference could affect rubber seals, resulting in very costly leakage problems. A change in solvency would also affect the particles and sparingly soluble components residing in an in-use hydraulic fluid system, increasing precipitation and sludge formation, adding stress to the filtration equipment.

"What we are seeing during 2015 is only the beginning of a more substantial restructuring within the Group I refining industry. We believe there will be a great market opportunity for our new products."

12 new Nynas oils

Nynas' new range of oil products comprises both base oils and process oils. Six new oils are offered in each segment, with the new base oils Nybase 70/100/150/300/ 500/600 and the process oils Nyflex 3014/3022/3030/3060/3100/3120.

Further reading

Head of Secondary Distribution since 2011, Rogier oversees and coordinates transport-related (when the product ends up on wheels) issues across the globe with suppliers, naphthenic affiliates and customers. He joined Nynas in 2005 as General Manager Naphthenics Benelux, after having worked for 20 years at a major French oil company. Rogier holds a Master’s degree in Business Management, and has also studied Mechanical Engineering. Find out what's on his mind.

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